The Internet Association is siding with one of its members in a lawsuit seeking to overturn a San Francisco ordinance requiring short-term rental services to register their users with the city.

San Francisco legalized short-term rentals in the city last year but also requires online services like Airbnb to report users who post rental ads. The city currently charges a $50 fee for residents who want to rent out space on their properties for two years, but city officials plan to raise that fee to $250 in the near future, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Airbnb has sued San Francisco to overturn the reporting requirement, arguing the ordinance violates a federal law shielding online service providers from being held responsible for their users' activities. The Internet Association recently filed an amicus brief supporting Airbnb, which is one of its members.

"Intermediary liability protections are foundational to the internet's success," Internet Association CEO Michael Beckerman said. "San Francisco's ordinance erodes those protections, setting a dangerous precedent that, if left unchallenged, will hinder innovation and undermine growth across the internet ecosystem."

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court of Northern California. http://bit.ly/2cuaRTb

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